1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to therapeutic appliances, and more particularly, to a glove like appliance adapted for exerting pressure to the skin of a wearer's hand for alleviating ailments.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Modern life is stressful. Undue stress can adversely affect an individual's recreational activities including their performance in sports. Stress can diminish an individual's sense of concentration, their sensitivity, their physical agility, their balance, etc. Symptoms of stress can include muscle tension, anxiety, cramps, persistent fatigue, headache, backache, etc. Therapies for relieving such ailments include acupuncture, a traditional therapeutic technique in which fine needles are inserted into an individual's body. More recently, Korean hand acupuncture theory has discovered that merely applying pressure to the skin at specific locations can relieve physical symptoms, including symptoms of stress such as those which adversely affect an individual's sport's performance.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,916,448 which issued on Nov. 4, 1975, on an application filed in the name of John S. Hamel ("the Hamel Patent") discloses a protective glove for law enforcement officers which includes an outer layer of lead-filled vinyl and two intermediate layers of wire mesh which are sandwiched between, among other things, an inner lining and an outer glove side.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,272,849 which issued on Jun. 16, 1981, on an application filed in the name of Jay D. Thurston ("the Thurston Patent") discloses a glove for workmen which includes stainless steel plates located on the back of the hand that are sandwiched between an inner liner and an outer layer of the glove to protect the workman's hand against being crushed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,813,079 which issued on Mar. 21, 1989, on an application filed in the name of Jimmie R. Reitzel ("the Reitzel Patent") discloses a weighted sports glove in which lead wool is sandwiched between an inner panel and an outer panel.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,864,661 which issued Sep. 12, 1989, on an application filed in the name of Neal I. Gimbel ("the Gimbel Patent") discloses a puncture resistant surgical glove which employs stalls at particular locations on the fingers and thumb of a health care provider's hand. The Gimbel et al. patent discloses that the puncture resistant stalls may be made from a wide variety of different materials including polymers, metal based materials including metal alloys, ceramics, elastomers, composites and their laminates, or composite combinations or blends. The Gimbel et al. Patent discloses that the stalls of the glove are applied to an outer surface of a glove's inner layer which contacts the skin of a health care provider's hand.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,911,433 which issued on Mar. 27, 1990, on an application filed in the names of John D. Walker and Larry Martin ("the Walker et al. Patent") discloses a baseball batting practice glove having a plurality of metallic weights releasably secured to the outer surface of the glove. The Walker et al. Patent discloses that the weights are effective during training to increase a hitter's hand strength and speed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,947,487 which issued Aug. 14, 1990, on an application filed in the names of Jeffrey D. Saffer and Louis A. Profenno ("the Saffer et al. Patent") discloses a glove which prevents laser burn injuries to a wearer's hand. The glove disclosed in the Saffer et al. Patent is formed from a composite material containing optically reflective and dispersive particles. The optically reflective and dispersive particles included in the glove disclosed in the Saffer et al. Patent may be provided by metal filings such as aluminum filings; or mineral crystal grains such as quartz or salts, or ceramic materials. In one embodiment of the glove disclosed in the Saffer et al. Patent, a composite layer containing the optically reflective and dispersive particles is laminated between layers of flexible elastic material.
None of the disclosures summarized above reveals an application of pressure to the skin of a wearer's hand by a glove-like appliance to relieve symptoms of physical ailments.